Solar-powered water system gives 549 Pangasinan households free water for three years

What is the background?

Malasiqui is a landlocked municipality of roughly 144,000 people in Pangasinan province, in the Philippines’ Ilocos Region. Barangay Ican, one of the town’s 73 villages, sits near the boundary with Sta. Barbara and Calasiao towns. Like many rural barangays in the region, Ican once depended on inconsistent local water sources before the national government funded a solar-powered filtration facility to serve the community directly.

What happened?

The Philippine News Agency reported on 10 July 2026 that residents of Barangay Ican have had a continuous supply of free, clean water for three years from a government-built solar-powered water system with filtration. In an interview, Barangay Captain Michael Cardenas said 549 households in the village have been receiving free water from the facility since it was completed in July 2023. That count excludes households from the neighbouring villages of Sta. Barbara and Calasiao towns, which also draw water from the same facility.

How did it happen?

The project was funded with nearly PHP5 million by the national government through the Financial Assistance to Local Government Unit – Potable Water programme. Solar panels power the filtration system directly, so the barangay does not pay for electricity to run it, and Cardenas said this lets the barangay council direct its funds toward maintaining the facility instead. “The municipal government conducts regular monitoring so we ensure it is always safe and clean for the sake of the residents,” he said. Cardenas added that the system keeps running even through drought: “Even during drought, when there is no more water in the residences, the water supply here is continuous,” he said.

Why does it matter?

The facility has become a backup source for people well beyond Ican’s own 549 households. Violeta Bruan, a resident of Barangay Balingueo in neighbouring Sta. Barbara, said she and other residents draw water from the Ican facility whenever their own source turns scarce or turbid. “People can draw water from the facility at any time of day,” she said. The arrangement shows how a single solar-powered facility, built for one village, can act as a shared safety net for surrounding communities during shortages.

What were the key results?

• 549 households in Barangay Ican have received free water since the facility’s completion in July 2023
• The free supply has run continuously for three years, including through drought periods
• The project cost nearly PHP5 million, funded through the Financial Assistance to Local Government Unit – Potable Water programme
• Solar power removes the need to pay for electricity to run the filtration system
• Residents of neighbouring Sta. Barbara and Calasiao towns also draw water from the facility when their own sources run short
• The municipal government carries out regular monitoring to keep the water safe and clean

What happens next?

Cardenas said the barangay council will keep funding upkeep of the facility to maintain the free supply for residents, adding: “This is a big help to many households. We just ask for everybody’s cooperation to maintain its cleanliness at all times.” Bruan said residents of neighbouring villages like Balingueo hope to get a similar facility of their own rather than relying on Ican’s system during shortages. The Philippine News Agency’s report leaves room for local officials to confirm any expansion plans as they are announced.